When LucasFilm and 20th Century FOX, the producer and distributor, respectively, of the Star Wars series of motion pictures, sought to create an innovative press event, they turned to Empire for the execution. The event was held to help cultivate long lead press (i.e. press who are creating stories which will run several months later) for the release of the Star Wars DVD Trilogy, a special package of the first 3 Star Wars films. For this event, LucasFilm sought to create a high quality live presentation which would feature both footage of the new DVDs as well as presentations by Mark Hammell who played Luke Skywalker in the first Star Wars movie, Irvin Kirzner who directed The Empire Strikes Back and several of the special effects wizards who worked on the movies including Frank Oz, Jim Ward, Rick Dean and John Lowry.

This presentation took place in the Grand Theater of the TriBeCa Grand Hotel and was preceded by a luncheon in the Café area where guests viewed humorous compilations of media featuring Star Wars references. As a centerpiece for the program, Empire created a living room set that was a pure time warp from May 1977, when the original Star Wars motion picture was released. The living room featured an 'Infinity' mirror table, thick shag carpeting, beanbag chairs, modular plexi-glass lamps, side tables and shelving and a wide variety of authentic props including an Atari game player, Peter Frampton & Barry Manilow album covers, paperback books, 'Smiley face' cushions, Farah Fawcett posters, etc. Naturally, both the theater and the DVD demo room had to feature the highest quality of visual projection and audio installation and Empire worked with LuCasFilm, JBL and THX to install a state-of-the-art THX sound system in the event space.

For this project, Empire played a variety of roles including site selection and acquisition, coordination of guest room logistics, management of all A/V systems, decor, set-design, oversight of food & beverage and onsite management.

When the Brazilian financial services firm, CAIXA Internacional wanted to launch their United States presence with a splash, Empire was called in by Latin American producer contacts to help stage and produce an important press event & reception that would feature both high stature presence and fun entertainment. The event was held at the Bildner Center in the City University of New York building on Fifth Avenue in the shadow of the Empire State Building.The event featured an address by Brazil's President, Lula da Silva, a multi-media presentation by executives of CAIXA Internacional, and a performance by Brazilian Bossa Nova legend, Paulinho da Viola.For this event, Empire provided all production management, audio and backline, as well as stage management of the show and printing of banners.

The event was planned with only a few days of advance notice and almost all of the arrangements and coordination had to be conducted in Portuguese through translators. The event was a rousing success and was attended by more than 500 guests and members of the press. Empire is a leading producer of international events, both overseas and for international companies seeking to establish and maintain presence in New York City and the United States.

Empire is a leading producer of presentations featuring heads of State from around the world.

When FOX Broadcasting needed to make headlines with the launch of their new summer series, North Shore, they turned to Empire Entertainment to create and execute a stunning press stunt in the heart of Times Square. Given that the show is based in Hawaii, FOX sought to transform the busiest intersection in America into a Hawaiian atmosphere that featured all the best of what Hawaii has to offer. Working through various New York City agencies, Empire was able to secure Fence Island, a small traffic island between 45th & 46th Street, Broadway and Seventh Avenue, in the heart of Times Square and arguably America's busiest intersection.

Working with a small army of designers, carpenters, florists, laborers and technicians, Empire realized the client's vision of a Hawaiian paradise, creating a main stage finished and backed with bamboo, a real beach with clean play sand, towering palm trees and lush tropical floral arrangements, greenery and various props including surf boards, beach chairs, Polynesian totem polls and Tiki huts. The centerpiece of the entire production was a towering volcano prop, 15' high X 9' wide that stood high above the stage. The volcano itself was designed by Empire, and included smoke and flame special effects. Branding for the event was also provided by Empire and included custom printed show posters on vinyl that fit over standard police barricades, a full size surf board and boogie boards that were printed with the North Shore, FOX logo and tune-in information, thousands of real flower Lei's that had been made in Hawaii and flown in for the event as well as branded post cards and Pineapple cups as giveaways to pedestrians.

Added to this were teams of performers, all cast, contracted, costumed, trained and supervised by Empire. This cast included male and female surf instructors, a team of catering servers who passed out original Hawaiian punch concoctions in branded FOX cups, a street team of 8 surfer dudes & girls in branded beach attire who worked the busy sidewalks of Broadway giving out premium items and building traffic on the island, and a running crew, all attired in Hawaiian shirts. On stage, an awesome Hawaiian music & dance ensemble, The Tiny Bubble Band, consisting of guitar, ukulele, congas and bass performed while a cast of 4 hula dancers in grass skirts performed traditional dances of Hawaii. In front of the stage, actress Brooke Burns and other stars of the show appeared live on FOX's Good Day Live and gave interviews for Access Hollywood, Extra, WNYW and other media. Brooke also posed for photos with fans, gave autographs and even participated in some of the surf lessons and hula activities.

The two hour long event was free and open to the public, served more than 2,000 guests and created quite a stir in Times Square. WPLJ was the radio promotion partner and provided additional promotional support onsite as well as on air personalities who helped emcee the event and participated in the prize giveaway of a trip to Oahu, Hawaii.

Empire provided all services for this promotional event including site selection and acquisition, security, staging, sound, lighting, electrical power & distribution, stage and set design and fabrication / installation, creation of the sand beach, staffing, music and other talent, onsite coordination, stage management and liaison with all parties.The clients at FOX Broadcasting were thrilled with the event and the President of the Times Square Alliance, an organization that helps to develop and promote Times Square, called the event "One of the most creative visual commercial promotions to happen in Times Square for a long time."

Empire is a leading producer of press stunts and events designed to generate national publicity.

A major telecommunications company recently called Empire looking for a headline performer to act as the finalé to their conference in South Beach. The client wanted a concert act who could play songs that their entire audience would know, and who would get them out of their seats and on to their feet. She hoped to have someone like Billy Joel or Elton John perform, but those artists were beyond the reach of for the event budget.Fortunately, Empire knew the perfect alternative at a more reasonable cost: Michael Cavanaugh. Michael is the star of "Movin' Out", Twyla Tharp's Tony-Award winning Broadway smash-hit based on the songs of Billy Joel. Michael was hand-picked by Billy Joel to star in the show in which he performs all of the vocals and piano. When he performs for corporate events, Michael performs with "The Movin' Out Band" which frequently includes some well-known musicians who also play with Billy Joel. And at private shows, Michael is not limited to the Billy Joel songbook.

At our client's event, he performed a healthy dose of Billy's hits (opening the set with "Only The Good Die Young" and getting the crowd immediately onto the dance floor) while also mixing in a good number of other classic songs by artists including The Beatles, Elton John, Jerry Lee lewis, and others. Michael kept the attendees dancing for his entire 90-minute set and even accommodated the CEO who asked to come onstage and play bass with the band for a song.Michael is like a human jukebox and knows thousands of popular songs. He can perform hits from many genres of popular music, and would even be able to do a country music set if requested. He can also play solo at the piano or work his band into nearly any configuration for event spaces that will not allow for large-scale production set-ups.

Empire Entertainment, Inc. is a leading provider of upscale entertainment for corporate conferences and special events. We know that budgets are a primary concern and we are always able to suggest the best possible performer in any specified price range.

When FOX Broadcasting chose to premiere their new Summer Series, "The Jury," for Executive Producers Barry Levinson, Tom Fontana, James Yoshimura and Jim Finnerty in New York City, they turned to Empire to help them put on a first class event. Empire helped to create an upscale cocktail event at the 21 Club that included a red carpet area and step & repeat wall outside the Museum of Television & Radio (where the show was screened), and a themed reception in the main dining room of the 21 Club which included celebrity guests, branded items, live music, fine food & drinks and gift bags.

The 200 person event had just the right energy & buzz and attracted stars ranging from Blue Man Group (who recorded the show's theme song), Bill O'Reilly from FOX's "O'Reilly factor," Shalom Harlow, and Patrice O'Neal. Guests arrived immediately after the conclusion of the screening next door and stayed until after the bars were shut down. For this upscale event, Empire worked with FOX to provide a variety of integrated services including site selection, creative development, design & printing, menu selection (including a specialty bar with themed cocktails like "the Jury-Tini", the "Subpoena Colada" and "the Deliberation") the facilitation of bar displays and presence for liquor sponsor Belvedere Vodka, the management of security and check-in logistics, decor including branded table tops & custom linens and serving trays with miniature gavel garnishes and onsite management of the event flow. Empire also created a custom sound track for the event to fill in breaks between performances by the Todd Londagin combo. Empire worked closely with FOX Broadcasting, Vanity Fair, The 21 Club, Belvedere Vodka and other parties to ensure a smooth running event that reflected the high standards of this world class broadcaster.

Empire is a leading producer of press and product launch events for the media and other industries.

Each year, one of the world's top food & beverage companies flies its highest sales achievers and their spouses from around the world to its New York headquarters to celebrate their achievement and recognize their accomplishments. The trip includes sightseeing, business programs, a marching band salute and an evening at Ellis Island. The highlight of the annual trip is the awards dinner, typically held inside a massive tent built on the grounds of the corporate headquarters. And for the past several years, this company has consistently turned to Empire Entertainment to deliver a program of interstitial performances that reflect the company's values and break up sections of the awards presentations.

This year, Empire was charged with creating a program of entertainment that represented excellence in four of the major regions of the globe and one that could segue naturally into a night of dancing and celebration. Empire was able to utilize its vast network of contacts in the worlds of international music and dance to deliver extraordinary, colorful and impactful performances from China, Ireland, India and Africa. The first performance of a traditional Chinese Dragon dance was performed by the Ying-Tang Dance Ensemble and featured colorfully costumed dragon dancers, drummers and waving flags to kick off the evening with a traditional dragon dance. The second performance was by the remarkable World Champion Trinity Irish Dancers from Chicago who amazed the audience with their high energy, and incredible timing and precision.The Natya Dance Thrater dancers of India then performed a number that was beautiful, graceful and entertaining, attired in richly colored costumes, jewelry and body paint & makeup. The last performance by the Universal African Dance & Drum ensemble featured wild energy, acrobatic stunts, explosive energy and served as a perfect ending to this international series of performances. Their segment ended with a reprise number on stage in which they were joined by the Trinity Irish Dancers and the Natya dancers who served to get the clapping audience up and on their feet. The Eturnity Band, New York City's best R&B, Funk & Motown dance band, then laid down the drum beat that kept the audience dancing until the end of the night.

Empire Entertainment is the leading producer of international talent & performers for corporate events. We have presented acts from every region of the world.

For the 4th year in a row, Empire produced the annual client conference for one of the world's largest financial company's retirement group. For this 4 day / 3 evening long event, Empire booked and produced all entertainment and provided keynote and topical speakers including: President George H. W. Bush and Mrs. Barbara Bush, actor, comedian and political writer Ben Stein as well as 11 industry speakers and panelists.The opening evening featured world-renowned comedian / juggler and the senior Bush's favorite entertainer, Michael Davis, who thrilled the audience with his amazing juggling and hilarious humor. Michael received a standing-ovation for his performance

This year, Empire's responsibilities expanded to include all florals for the conference. Empire partnered with Tomik Productions who set up an in-house flower shop that provided all flower arrangements and linens throughout the conference for every function including two outdoor breakfasts, and lunches, the opening night cocktail reception and dinner function, the closing night cocktail reception, and an intimate breakfast with a small group of client guests and President and Mrs. Bush. Incredible custom floral arrangements were also provided for the Bush's suite, other VIP's and attendees as requested.The first morning, was a fresh and colorful citrus themed breakfast, set on the beautiful Da Vinci lawn within the hotel gardens, which featured festive citrus linens and floral displays.For that afternoon's lunch, the garden was reset with another fresh and bright theme, beautifully complimented with fresh florals and linens. These breakfast and lunch themed events were repeated the following day with the final in-house event being a cocktail reception held the last night of the conference in the conference resource center.

Empire again designed, built and installed the conference's Resource Center in which twenty one client participants / partners were provided custom-designed spaces to showcase their latest materials to the conferences 300 attendees. This space also served as a place where attendees could relax, network and check email between general sessions. Empire completely transformed a 100' X 50' ballroom space into an indoor garden, that featured Italian, English and Florida tropical themes, complete with a beautiful white email gazebo in the center of the room and an indoor fountain that enhanced the rooms ambience. These elements were complimented with a combination of various styles of outdoor garden furniture, beautiful garden-themed props, baker's racks for participants materials, computer monitors were provided as well as wireless internet connections for participants. Finally, Empire designed the General Session stage to compliment the Resource Center garden theme. The staging was then built by the client and dressed by Empire on site. The client and participants constantly complimented Empire on a job well done again this year. Many of the participants and attendees have attended this conference every year and are constantly surprised at how we conceptualize and implement a business function in a unique environment, not generally seen in the conference world.

When one of the world's largest and best-known software firms wants to dazzle its customers and business partners with a hot night in the Big Easy, it picks up the phone and calls Empire Entertainment. The client's goal was lofty: to put on a precedent-setting corporate concert, with multiple performers and a Grammy-like feel. Empire met the challenge head-on. Working closely with the client's marketing department, they arrived at a novel solution: to recreate, in concert form, last year's hit documentary, "Standing in the Shadows of Motown". The film celebrates the career of the Funk Brothers, the band that played on all of the classic Motown tracks from the early 1960s right through until the 1980s, backing the likes of Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson and the Temptations. Few people are aware that the Funk Brothers tallied more number one hits than Elvis, the Beatles, the Rolling Stones and the Beach Boys combined. Empire partnered the Funk Brothers with Chaka Khan, Joan Osborne (both of whom were featured in the film), Aaron Neville and Ruben Studdard.

Two days before the show, Aaron Neville was hospitalized with bronchial asthma and forced to cancel. Empire worked quickly to replace him with none other than the legendary Isley Brothers' lead singer, Ron Isley. The end result was a high-energy, all-star event that ignited the 5,000 person strong crowd. The hits kept on coming: "Ain't Too Proud to Beg"; "What's Going On"; "Signed, Sealed, Delivered"; "I Heard It Through the Grapevine"; "Ain't No Mountain High Enough"; "What Becomes of the Broken Heart?"; "My Girl" and others. After the show, an out-of-breath member of the client's top brass exclaimed, "It is not possible to put together a better corporate show!" Earlier in the week, for this same client, Empire put on yet another all-star event: a panel discussion featuring James Carville, Ben Stein, and Todd Buccholz, and moderated by Stuart Varney. The lively debate focused on the upcoming presidential election and its economic impact of the U.S. and the world.

Empire Entertainment was once again called upon to produce a music industry party for valued clients, J Records / RCA / The BMG Music Group. This time, their client was Velvet Revolver, a new band consisting of several former members of Guns 'n' Roses: including Slash and Duff and Scott Weiland The Stone Temple Pilots former front man.Called in a week prior to the event, Empire worked to create a "Moroccan-roll" themed event on the rooftop of the hot new 'meat packing district' hotel, The Hotel Gansevoort. With extremely limited electrical power onsite and challenging 'new hotel' logistical and practical problems to contend with, Empire managed to create and execute a first class event for a crowd of music celebrities and industry personnel including Clive Davis.

The event featured original decor in a Moroccan theme reminiscent of the decor at the band's studio where their debut album was recorded. Empire and it's team designed & provided decor in both interior and exterior spaces on the hotel rooftop and floating flowers and votive candles around one of Manhattan's few rooftop swimming pools. The party went late into the evening with great rock music from DJ Frank Inglesi, and celebrities and guests lounging on Moroccan furniture arrangements beneath lanterns and among flowers and planters. Empire was complimented throughout the night by the client, hotel personnel, and attendees, for doing a great job.

Empire is a leading producer of events for the entertainment industry.

When Velocity Communications recently consulted Empire Entertainment regarding a headline performer for an event in Germany, there was one act that was perfect for the audience. Velocity had explained that the attendees of the engagement were going to be 1,200 key clients, premier partners, special guests, and staff of a world-renowned technology corporation. Most of these guests were to be non-English speaking, men in their 30's - 50's. The entertainment needed to be elegant without being boring; glamorous but still exciting enough to keep the attendees' attention. And of course, the performance needed to be essentially non-verbal to suit the international audience. Empire immediately suggested the female string quartet "BOND".

Initially hailed "the Spice Girls of classical music", the four attractive women who make up the group have demonstrated that they are not all style-over-substance by composing a vibrant worldbeat sound all their own. Their debut album, "Born" (2001) showcased the band's mix of salsa, house, and European folk stylings. Combined with the performers' supermodel looks, the music helped the album sell over two and a half million copies worldwide, and led to the group performing at high-profile events like the "Pavarotti with Friends" concert in Italy, the MTV Awards in the United States and Singapore, and at the Royal Albert Hall in London, and high profile endorsements & commercial campaigns for multiple brands including Raymond Weil watches. Empire knew that the band's unique blend of sex appeal and elegant high-energy classical music made them the ideal show for the crowd.After seeing the troupe's video, Velocity Communications and the end-client agreed they were perfect. While BOND was touring Asia at the time of the event in Germany, Empire was able to secure them for the project. As can be seen in the accompanying photo, Velocity Communications transformed The Kraftzentrale in Duisburg, Germany (a former steel foundry) into a lively, dynamic banquet and concert venue. Dramatic use of lighting on flying "Hexawing" scrim and vibrant staging set the tone for a magical evening. And BOND outdid themselves as well.

As one of the clients from Velocity wrote to us after the show, "in short, the experience was the best we have ever had. BOND was fantastic. [The end client VIP's] lined up to meet them afterwards including the CEO. And yes, the male audience lined up during the entire show to take photos. They are hot, sexy and talented. Thank you so much for taking care of us and our client." Empire Entertainment is a leading presenter and producer of headline performers at special events worldwide. We have our fingers on the pulse of the best new entertainment on every continent and excel at recommending and securing the best possible entertainers for any specific audience, regardless of their nationality.